Augustus gross



No Model.)

A. enoss. ILLUMINATING BALLOONS FOR ADVERTI$ING PURPOSES AT NIGHT. N0. 460,674.

Patented 0011.6, 1891.

FIG]

WITNEEaEIEEnl (5 7/dmm4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS GROSS, OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES.

ILLUMINATING-BALLOON FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES AT NIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,674, dated October 6, 1891.

Application filed April 25, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS GROSS, optician, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of Sydney, in

the Colony of New South Wales, Australia,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Mode of Illuminating Balloons, whereby the Same are Specially Adapted for Advertising Pur'poses at Night,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention is specially applicable to a captive balloon on which isinscribed in prom inent characters the subject-matter of the advertisement in such a manner that the charactors on the balloon shall be caused to be clearly exhibited at night when the balloon is illuminated. This may be effected either by making the balloon of some semi-transparent material and the characters opaque, or vice versa. 7

My improved mode of illuminating balloons for advertising purposes will be better understood by referring to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the balloon, the usual net-work being removed. Fig. 2 is a ,detail, on an enlarged scale, showing the way in which the electrical wires may be introduced into the interior of the balloon.

A is the body of the balloon, which may be made square, polygonal, circular, or of any othersuitable form in transverse section. The

form shown in the drawings is square.

. B is a flat band that surrounds the upper 3 5 part of the balloon upon which the advertisement may be inscribed, as shown by the word Gross.

A light frame-work O, of cane, whalebone,

or other suitable strong but light material, is

40 secured within the upper part of the balloon. This frame-work is shown by dotted lines 0 in the drawings.

Pendent from the light frame-work O are incandescent electric lamps Got any suitable design and power.

The neck D of the balloon is secured to a cup or cap E, that may be of hard wood, vulcanite, metal, or other suitable material. In the event of the cap E being made of metal or of any material that is a conductor of electricity, insulating-pieces e 6 should be inserted in the cap, through which the wires F may pass either direct or the current may be Serial No. 390,441. (No model.)

conveyed through the binding-screw ff. WVires F will pass upward within the balloon 5 5 to the light frame-work O, to which the incandescent lamps G are suspended and will,

be connected to the lamps in the usual manner.

An inlet-pipe H passes through the cap E, whereby the balloon may be filled with gas. The inlet-opening is governed by a cock h.

A shackle J is connected, preferably, to the inlet-pipe H and to which the rope K is attached and the balloon thus retained at any desired elevation.

The conducting-wires F may be led up to the balloon independently of the rope K or they may be laid up with the rope as strands. By adopting the latter course the conducting-wires would be less liable to injury. The wires F will be connected to a suitable dynamo or other source of electrical power.

When using the balloon a moonless night should preferably be chosen,and all the necessary preparations having been made the balloon should be caused to ascend to a height of, say, about two hundred feet or more. When the desired altitude has been attained, the electric current is then switched on and the advertisement will be exhibited in flaming characters apparently in the sky, as, if the balloon be constructed so that the light within shall only be visible through the advertisement, the balloon itself will remain invisible against the dark sky.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is v In an advertising-balloon, the combination, with the balloon, an internal frame-work provided with electric lamps, and a band across the upper part of the balloon adapted to receive advertisements, of a cap in which the neck of the balloon is secured, electric wires 9 5 passing through said cap and connecting with the lamps, insulating-pieces e e, and an inletopening for the admission of gas to the balloon, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my I00 hand in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTUS GROSS.

Witnesses:

MANF ELD N EWTON, WM. D. MASSEY. 

